It's not often that a Siskiyou County resident gets his or her name entered into the Guinness Book of World Records. Evan Aker is trying to accomplish just that.

Since the age of 12, Evan has been in love with whitewater rafting and kayaking. At age 14, he began guiding others on trips down rivers. Often times, the people he guided were several years older than him, but his age was no reflection of his remarkable skill on the water. Since then, Evan's passion has become his profession. For the past five years, he has worked at Living Waters Recreation in Mount Shasta as a guide.

Sometime this year, Evan plans on setting a new world record. He looks to kayak down the Upper Klamath 12 times in a 24-hour period. About five of those times will be in complete darkness. Other complications include shuttle issues and water support.

The road alongside the river is difficult to drive on, and Evan would reach the end of his run faster than any vehicle can get there. To solve this problem, there is going to be two trucks shuttling back and forth from the top and bottom of the run. Also, there will be no water support for him if anything was to go wrong on the river. This is a dangerous sport, as many things could go wrong.

Since he first started rafting, Evan has broken his nose six times, dislocated his shoulder eight times, and broken a countless number of fingers and toes. If he were to get injured during a run, he would have to finish the run with the injury before receiving any medical help. However, he is confident in his knowledge of Klamath and is confident that he will not need the help.

Evan said one of his favorite parts of his job as a guide is "meeting new people every day." He guides many people from all ages and backgrounds. He has even guided actor Jim Belushi, as well as the (William Randolph) Hearst family.

Evan was born in Redding, but has spent most of his life in Siskiyou County. He attended Yreka High School for his first two years, and graduated from Discovery High School in 2008. During his time at Yreka High, Evan competed on both the soccer and swim teams, however his true passion was outside of school sports.

Evan is waiting for the first 24-hour release of the Upper K in order to attempt the record. It may not be until the end of this year that he is able to attempt the record, but it is sure to be an exciting event to watch.